"Yoon Geon-young on 'Bangmi Hwang Kyo-an': 'A person who even served as Prime Minister... makes my face burn' sharp remark"

Former Future United Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, currently visiting the United States, announced on the 11th that he met with Mark Napier, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, in Washington DC to exchange views on the Korea-US alliance issue.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Gun-young criticized former Future United Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) leader Hwang Kyo-ahn's visit to the United States, saying, "It seems that national interests are completely put aside for his own political gain."

On the 12th, Yoon posted on his Facebook, "What do senior U.S. officials and experts think when they see a former prime minister going all the way to a distant American land and criticizing the South Korean government? It really makes my face burn with shame," he said, criticizing the visit.

He recalled, "This happened when I visited the U.S. as part of the Democratic Party delegation right after last year's U.S. presidential election," adding, "Local experts and Korean-Americans commonly said they wished Korean politicians would not come to the U.S. and voice different opinions from the ruling and opposition parties."

He continued, "They said that if the ruling party and opposition party say different things even when coming all the way to a foreign country, how can that be? They emphasized that there should be no division in front of national interests," and confessed, "My face burned with shame throughout hearing those words."

Yoon emphasized, "The power of a country's diplomacy comes from many places, but the most important source of power is a unified voice."

He added, "'One voice' has various meanings, such as preventing the other side from underestimating us and not exposing our strategies. In plain terms, it can also be a space to use divide-and-conquer tactics during negotiations."

He said, "In that regard, former leader Hwang Kyo-ahn's visit to the U.S. is very bitter," and questioned, "Is it appropriate behavior for someone who has even served as the Prime Minister of South Korea?"

He added, "If you want to do politics, I hope you do it with some dignity," and said, "Going to the U.S. to create a good-looking picture and build a plausible pretext is a method from the 1980s. It really looks pitiful."

Yoon also expressed concern, saying, "The People Power Party says they will send a vaccine delegation to the U.S. I am worried," and added, "Of course, in the case of lawmaker Park Jin, who has excellent diplomatic insight, I feel somewhat relieved, but still, I honestly feel worried."

Finally, he urged, "I hope you at least communicate with government officials before going to the U.S. So that South Korea does not feel embarrassed."

Earlier, on the 6th, Yoon criticized former leader Hwang's actions, saying, "I am worried that even a pinch of chili powder might be sprinkled on the South Korea-U.S. summit," and added, "How can a leaking bucket at home be any better outside?"

Meanwhile, former leader Hwang visited the U.S. from the 5th for a 7-night, 8-day schedule, meeting with administration officials including Coordinator Campbell and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mark Napier, as well as political, business, and think tank figures, and is scheduled to return on the 12th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.